Dan Connelly is in his second season on the Memphis staff and serves as a graduate manager while he pursues his master's degree in Sport Commerce. In his first season with the Tigers, Connelly was a member of the staff that helped guide the Tigers to a 24-10 overall record and a National Invitation Tournament (NIT) berth. It was the 10th-straight season that the Tigers won 20 or more games and earned a postseason tournament bid, both school records. Memphis advanced to the NIT second round, winning a postseason tournament game for the seventh-consecutive year. The Tigers also posted a 13-3 Conference USA record and finished second in the league's regular season standings. It was the fifth-straight year Memphis won 13 or more conference games. After the 2009-10 season, sophomore guard Elliot Williams declared for the 2010 NBA Draft and was the 22nd pick of the first round by the Portland Trail Blazers. During Williams' one season with the Tigers, he earned C-USA Newcomer of the Year and All-C-USA first team honors. Connelly previously worked for the Princeton basketball program as the Director of Basketball Operations for the 2007-08 and 2008-09 campaigns. In that position, Connelly's main responsibilities included on-campus recruiting efforts, film exchange, correspondence, team travel and assisting with summer camps. Prior to moving to Princeton, N.J., Connelly was a member of the Jacksonville University basketball staff in 2006-07 and had similar responsibilities as he did at Princeton. At Jacksonville, Connelly contributed to one of the biggest season turnarounds in NCAA Division I history. After winning only one game in 2005-06, the Dolphins posted a 15-14 record in Connelly's lone season. A 2006 graduate of Florida State, Connelly was the head manager for the Seminole basketball program for three seasons. He assisted at every practice and individual workout for four years and helped prepare future NBA Draft selections Von Wafer and Alexander Johnson and 2007 NBA Draft Lottery pick Al Thornton. As head manager, Connelly also assisted the team video coordinator and coaching staff with scouting reports and team travel. He graduated from Florida State with a bachelor's degree in Social Science. A Baltimore, Md., native, Connelly is a 2002 graduate of Towson Catholic High School, where he played one season with NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Connelly has two brothers --Tim and Pat -- that work in the NBA's Washington Wizards organization. Tim is the Wizards' Director of Player Personnel, and Pat is a scout. |
Memphis Tigers
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